For Babies and Children

Your new baby
At BMC we don’t just vaccinate! We provide checkups for newborns as per the “Red Book” child health record. We’d love to meet you and your newborn soon after you leave hospital and again at about 6 weeks, 4,6,12 and 18 months of age and then a more detailed checkup at 4 years of age before starting school. Let us know when you’re booking for a checkup and vaccination.

Be sure to fill out the questions in the “Red Book” before you come along, including the Parent’s Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) at each age-checkpoint.

Child development and behaviour
As well as the standard check points, we are happy to do a developmental check on your child any time you have concerns. You might be worried about their growth, their development of abilities to move, communicate, or play, or their behaviour.

If your child’s teacher has raised concerns, it’s essential to get them to write down what they’re worried about, and bring that along. Please bring the latest school reports, including guidance reports, hearing tests etc. If your child has seen any allied health therapists such as psychology, occupational therapy, speech pathology, optometry or physio, bring their reports or at least, contact details.

When we’ve done an assessment, we may arrange further testing such as blood tests or hearing tests; and we may refer to a paediatrician or allied health team.

Women’s Health

At BMC our doctors provide a full antenatal service. We will do a checkup and any needed tests or vaccinations before you get pregnant. Then, we can do all your pregnancy checkups, arrange your tests and scans, and refer you to a private consultant or public hospital to be booked in for the birth. Especially with public hospitals, including Beaudesert Hospital, we love to do “shared-care” by managing most of your checkups right here. Follow the Birthing in Beaudesert group here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/148394665176129/

BMC is a one-stop-shop for most of your contraceptive choices, from advice about barrier and timing methods to prescribed choices such as the different types of “Pill” available. We also provide Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives onsite (LARCs) such as Mirena, Implanon, and Depo-Provera.

You can also be referred for permanent surgical options such as vasectomy, tubal ligation etc. More information about relationships and your reproductive health, including contraceptive choices, is available at True http://www.true.org.au/

Men’s Health

Men have special needs. Men go to the doctor less and die younger than women. Heart disease and cancers are special problems; early detection and correcting risk factors can help. Especially in rural areas, men face particular risks from anxiety, depression and suicide. There are also issues like snoring and sleep apnoea, erection problems, and skin cancer from outdoor work.

Tired all the time?

We all feel tired sometimes and lots of our patients feel tired all the time. There are many causes including busy lifestyles, stress and worry, too little time for exercise, diets that aren’t quite right, too much caffeine and not enough proper time off. A tiredness checkup needs a longer appointment as well as follow-up appointments. There’s no “magic wand”, pill or supplement.

Your doctor will listen carefully to your history, examine you and arrange some investigations for medical causes. This might include blood tests, x-rays or scans, sleep apnoea testing, ECG or exercise stress testing depending on your symptoms, family history and medical background. Then we’ll come up with a plan and arrange to follow-up until you’ve made some changes and are feeling better.

Skin checks

Skin cancer is a killer in Australia and especially in Queensland, where we have some of the highest rates in the world and 60% of us get a sunburn every year.

Doctors at BMC are trained to do full skin checks “head-to-toe” and can cure most skin cancers, especially if detected early, while they’re small. Treatments available at BMC include:

Diabetes

Diabetes (high blood sugar) affects at least one in twenty Aussies and can lead to disability from heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and dialysis, even losing toes, feet or part of your leg.

At BMC we are tough on diabetes. All affected patients can have 3-4 bulk-billed chronic-disease checkups a year and we will monitor your blood pressure, weight, heart risk, eyes, kidneys and feet. We can also arrange funded visits to optometrist, podiatrist, dietitian, physio etc if needed (gap payments may apply).

Heart Disease

Heart disease includes heart attacks and everyday, Australian’s give up work and play because of heart problems. The good news is that much heart disease can be prevented, and the power is in your hands. Doctors at BMC can check your risks for heart disease and help you improve your chances.

Smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, exercise and snoring can all be changed. Patients who have had a heart attack, stent or bypass can access 3-4 bulk-billed checkups every year and we can also arrange funded visits to optometrist, podiatrist, dietitian, physio etc if needed (gap payments may apply)

Still concerned? Book to see one of our qualified doctors. It helps if you tell us you’re coming for a lung checkup, we might organise a spirometry test with one of our practice nurses first.

If you do have lung disease, you may be eligible for 3-4 bulk-billed checkups every year and we can also arrange funded visits to optometrist, podiatrist, dietitian, physio etc if needed (gap payments may apply).

Chronic Disease Management / Enhanced Primary Care

If you are living with a “chronic disease” you may be eligible for 3-4 bulk billed checkups every year and possibly for funded visits to optometrist, podiatrist, dietitian, physio etc if needed (gap payments may apply).

Mental Health

Mental health affects us all, but did you know half of us experience problems directly? In fact, mental health is a component in more than half the consultations we do at the Medical Centre.

Help is available through your Medical Centre GP; be sure to book a long enough appointment to have a proper chat about what’s going on in your life.

Mental Health Treatment Plans
If you have a formal mental health diagnosis, you may benefit from a Mental Health Treatment plan prepared for you, by your GP. We’ll do a mental health assessment, ask you to complete a scoring sheet or two, and decide on treatment which might involve some counselling, lifestyle changes, or work with a qualified psychologist.

Under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, your psychologist visits may be funded by Medicare and you may only have to pay a gap fee instead of the full fee. You may also be eligible for funding through your work “Employee Assistance Program”, or your private health insurance.

ATAPS and Better Outcomes
You may be eligible for fully-funded (no gap fee) psychology through Brisbane South PHN’s ATAPS program. A Mental Health Treatment Plan will be completed by your doctor first.

ATSI Health

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia can access special programs from Medicare and the Australian Government to achieve better health outcomes. Medicare even has a special access line for information about their programs. Call 1800 556 955

At BMC we can offer:
– Help enrolling with Medicare and registering as an ATSI person
– ATSI Health Checks bulk-billed every 9-12 months
– Chronic Disease Management Plans bulk-billed every 4-6 months
– Closing The Gap (CTG) prescriptions free if you have a Chronic Disease
– Tailored immunisation programs for ATSI children and adults

Annual Health Checks

We offer bulk-billed standard Annual Health Assessments for over-75’s, usually done together with your driver’s license medical check. Please let reception know when booking, we will book you with our nurse and your doctor.

You can ask for a health check at any time, and we will tailor your checkup to your needs. Your age, gender, past medical history, family history and medications are all important.

Travelling?

Doing the “Grey Nomad” trip any time soon? They say there’s no point getting older if you don’t get smarter too. Here are some tips for the smarter long-term Aussie traveller.

Come and see us a month before you plan to leave (even if you’re not ‘due’ for a checkup). We’ll do a checkup anyway, set you up with any scripts you might need, and print off a health summary as well as any notes your doctors along the way might need.

Set yourself up with myhealthrecord.gov.au (a free, secure, online health record provided by the Federal Government). We can upload a basic health summary there and it will be accessible from many GPs and hospitals in Australia. You can scan and upload your Advance Health Directive there too.

Your long-term conditions still need checkups. Whether it’s diabetes, blood pressure or your sunspots, plan ahead so you’ll be in a community with medical services when you’re due.

Book appointments (like you book accommodation) at least a fortnight out. In many parts of regional and rural Australia waiting times for non-urgent appointments for new patients are MUCH longer than your regular GP.

Running out of medicine is about as smart as running out of fuel, and will get you the same amount of sympathy. Keep a stash in reserve and if you have to break into it, top up at the next pharmacy. Know where the next pharmacy is just like you know where the next fuel stop is.

If you are having wound dressings, make sure you carry plenty of spares. You might need to change them yourself and some special dressings will not be available or may be a lot more expensive in remote areas.

Plan for additional health care costs. You will probably not be bulk-billed, and in some places (like rural South Australia) even in an emergency department you may be treated by a local doctor as a private patient with a fee payable.

If you’re over 75 or you have an MR license or any other sort of license certificate, check the expiry date. See you usual GP to get a certificate to cover the whole trip.

If any other sort of certificate will expire while away, see your GP now.

If you are taking any opiate (morphine-related) medicines for chronic pain, see your GP at least a month before departing. Most other doctors will NOT prescribe for someone they do not know.

Remember that emergency departments are only there for emergencies.

Figure out how you will communicate. Mobiles don’t work in most of remote Australia. You can call 000 or 112 in an emergency if another carrier has coverage but if there is NO carrier available it will not work. Your best option is a satellite phone; also consider an EPIRB, PLB or SPOT device.

Make sure you know how to use your GPS or Emergency+ app to get exact lat/long coordinates for your position.

Be considerate of other travelers. Pull over often to let following vehicles pass, use your 2-way radios to communicate on the road and park where you’re not in others’ way.

Make sure you have more than 1 person travelling who can drive your vehicle, including with van or trailer.

And don’t forget to send us a postcard!

(thanks to Dr Kate Kloza and colleagues at “GPs Down Under”)

Overseas

If you are going overseas, come and see your GP at least 6 weeks before leaving. Make a long appointment and bring your itinerary and a list of vaccinations you have had in the past.

Before you come, look up your destinations here to get an idea of what precautions you will need to take. It helps if you print the relevant pages to bring along.

WorkCover

If you are seeing us for a work-related injury or illness, please advise reception when booking. We will help make a claim with WorkCover (or other insurer) and will coordinate with allied health and medical consultants if needed to get you back on the job in good health as soon as possible.

Q Fever

Working with cattle, sheep, goats or feral animals? Q fever can knock you out of work and play for weeks, or even longer. South-east Qld is a hotspot for Q fever and BMC doctors are experienced in diagnosis, treatment and most importantly, prevention.

If you need to consider Q fever testing and vaccination for yourself or your workers, call and speak to our practice manager on 5541 1422

The Doctors and staff of The Beaudesert Medical Centre aim to provide a traditional family general practitioner service, including hospital, aged care and home visits where appropriate.

Beaudesert Medical Centre provides post-graduate training for The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine through General Practice Training Queensland.

Beaudesert Medical Centre is recognised as a teaching practice for students under the University of Queensland, Griffith University, and the John Flynn Placement Program.

The Doctors and staff of The Beaudesert Medical Centre aim to provide a traditional family general practitioner service, including hospital, aged care and home visits where appropriate.